








































Technical Services


2 3

Technical Services 
Brinna Michael, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Chair

MEMBERS PRESENT

• Michael Bradford, Wayne State University
• Jeff Brigham, Andover Newton Theological School
• Clay-Edward Dixon, Graduate Theological Union
• Leslie Engelson, Murray State University
• Ellen Frost, Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist University
• Heather Hicks, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
• Stephanie Garrett, Catholic Distance University
• Richard Lammert, Concordia Theological Seminary
• Brinna Michael, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University
• Elizabeth Miller, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University
• Seth Miskimins, Bridwell Library, Southern Methodist 

University
• Ann Owen, Sacred Heart Seminary & School of Theology
• Sheila Owen, Harding School of Theology
• Christa Strickler, University of Notre Dame
• Christina Torbert, University of Mississippi
• Donna Wells, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 

CC:DA Liaison
• Alexis Weiss, Atla, Atla Funnels Coordinator
• Jessie Zhong, Dallas Theological Seminary
• W. Field, William Booth College
• Helena Kudzia, St. Mark’s College

ABSENTEE MEMBERS

• Anna Appleman, Columbia Theological Seminary
• Bro. Andrew Kosmowski, North American Center for 

Marianist Studies, Secretary
• Armin Siedlecki, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University



24    ANNUAL Y E ARBOOK

AGENDA

1. Steering Committee Introductions

2. Call for nominations to fill the remaining vacant position

3. Liaison Reports

4. See “Round Robin Reports” below.

5. TSIG Webpage: Liaisons

6. Discussed changes to the list of liaisons, including removal of 
inactive liaisons, updates to roles, and addition of new liai-
sons

7. TSIG Membership Scope

8. Proposal put forward by Brinna Michael to change the word-
ing of the membership scope as it appears on the webpage 
to explicitly reflect the broad range of roles that constitute 
“technical services”

9. Discussion included support for the change

10. Recommendation added to remove language specifying 
“theological librarians” and replace with “members”

11. Motion to approve by Heather Hicks, seconded by Michael 
Bradford

12. Draft of new language to be sent out via atlatech-l for 
approval by mid-August 2023

13. Open Discussion

YEAR IN REVIEW

TSIG has had a light year as leadership transitioned from Richard 
Lammert to Brinna Michael. TCB has had an active year and is 
growing steadily in readership and content production. TSIG mem-
bers participated in a consultation with Jamie Carelstone at North-
western University who reached out regarding subject authority 
work with the term “Cults” and other related terms. Volunteers 
met with Jamie to discuss her work so far and provide insight and 
expertise on the use and misuse of the term.



Interst Group Reports  25

ROUND ROBIN REPORTS

CC:DA Liaison – Reported by Donna Wells. ALA Committee on 
Cataloging: Description and Access (CC:DA) will continue meeting 
online in the future, with two meetings per year after ALA Annual 
and the midwinter meeting. Largely, CC:DA has been getting re-
ports from RDA, PCC, MARC Advisory Committee, and on the proj-
ect to update LC Romanization tables. Additionally, updates on big 
LCSH changes include: 

• “Illegal Aliens” has been changed to “Nonciti-
zens”, post-coordinated with “Illegal immigration. 
“Aliens” has also been changed to “Noncitizens”. 
(Nov. 2021)

• “Blacks” has been changed to “Black people”; 
“Whites” to “White people”.

• “Law, Primitive” has been cancelled in favor of “Cus-
tomary law”. Further work to remove all other uses 
of the term primitive has been undertaken.

• “Marranos” has been cancelled in favor of “Crypto-
Jews—Iberian Peninsula”. Similar terms for crypto-
Jews in specific locations were cancelled in favor 
of using the consistent practice of “Crypto-Jews-
-[Place]”. 

• The proposal to change “Slaves” to “Enslaved per-
sons” was approved and a project is being estab-
lished to enact all related changes.

• “Capitol Riot, Washington, D.C., 2021” was added 
(Sept. 2021).

• The N cutters for the term Negroes have been 
changed across LCC. 

Atla PCC Funnels – Reported by Alexis Weiss. To date in FY2023, 
Atla catalogers contributed 450 name authority records (NACO) 
and 7 subject records (SACO), both down from last year. The num-
ber of contributing institutions has decreased again from seven 
last year to five this year. Alexis Weiss, Member Engagement Li-
brarian for Atla has taken on the role of Funnels Coordinator for 
all the administrative aspects of that position. Moving forward, 
funnel participants with NACO training and independent status 
will be called upon to act as mentors and evaluators for new NACO 



26    ANNUAL Y E ARBOOK

trainees. We will be collaborating with the Association of Christian 
Librarians (ACL) to train any of their interested librarians. Atla 
Staff will also now have the opportunity to be trained and join the 
funnels. Alexis has been in contact with the Library of Congress 
about potentially offering directed NACO and SACO trainings and 
is looking for interested participants, both new and those needing/
wanting a refresher course.

TCB: Technical Services in Religion & Theology – Reported 
by Christa Stickler. TCB has continued to grow with an increasing 
number of submissions and views. The first ever special issue will 
be published in October 2023 on system migrations with ten ar-
ticles set to be included. There has been a lot of recruitment from 
outside of Atla, but the editors would love to see more involvement 
from Atla members. Christa issued an invitation to submit or reach 
out to the editors to discuss your ideas/interests/questions. The 
editors also request topics that readers would like to read about, 
including software/etc. to be reviewed. Currently, TCB is search-
ing for a fourth editorial board member to help with the increased 
editorial workload.

OTHER

During open discussion at the business meeting, members raised 
several points of discussion, summarized below.

Several members voiced a desire for more Technical Services 
programming both during the Annual Meeting and throughout the 
year. More practical and area-specific programming allows mem-
bers to make a stronger case to their respective administrative 
heads to support their attendance at the Annual Conference.

To address the above, a suggestion was made to hold more regu-
lar TSIG meetings throughout the year and to host a conference 
proposal workshop approximately six months (or whenever the 
call for proposals goes out) before the Annual Conference in order 
to encourage submissions/proposals.

Suggestions for conference programming included: a panel on 
eResource workflows, a panel with aggregators (EBSCO, Project 
MUSE, ProQuest, etc.) in the style of the “What, Why, and How? 
Publishers, Ebooks, and Theology Libraries” session hosted by the 
Collection Evaluation and Development Interest Group at Atla An-
nual 2023, metadata/cataloging practices regarding materials held 



Interst Group Reports  27

in institutional repositories, disaster planning, and preservation/
conservation (potentially as a sponsored guest from a local Los An-
geles institution).

Members also voiced an interest in promoting TSIG to new Atla 
partners, CRRA, to encourage additional participation and new 
perspectives. Suggestions were also made to potentially partner 
with other interest groups, such as the Small Libraries Interest 
Group, to put on programming pertaining to areas of overlap be-
tween interest groups.


